Welcome to the rx8 ls1 faq page

Changes after swap

Gear ratios

1. Q. How does your kit differ from the Hinson kit?

A. My kit is a my design there are no parts copied from anyone.Along with being designed to be much less in cost to accomplished by re-using as much factory parts as possible and developing simple designs for less man hours to build.

2. Q. What am I going to need that isn't in your kit?

A. You will need:• Battery to install in your trunk.• Coolant hoses from engine to radiator, heater hoses from engine to heater core outlets.• Cooling Fans• Custom A/C lines.• some 14 ga wire to rewire a few things.

***W\ Drive by cable you will also need a throttle pedal I used a 88-91 rx7 pedal.***

3. Q. What major obstacles can I expect?

A. • Cutting the front battery brace & ABS mounting brackets off.

• bending the lip around the engine bay for exhaust clearance

• You must cut the steering shaft to bolt and weld an extension that comes with the kit.

• Opening up two holes with 1/2" bit

• Drilling 4 holes through the side of the frame for transmission support.

• Opening up the clutch master cylinder hole some. ***Can be done using a file.***

• Opening up the shifter hole for the shifter to fall into.*** as it falls 2" short of the center of the hole***

• Installing the engine & transmission together is very difficult. Best to do the engine then the transmission.

• Easiest done on a two post lift to drop the car onto the subframe with engine and transmission together.

***All it was is a fuel box with relays on it to help thing out. But it's just to easy to rewire a few things instead.***

Wiring isn't that bad I will be making very detailed instructions on it to allow someone to that doesn't know anything to do it.

5. Q. What radiator should I use?

A. You can use the factory radiator.Along with modifying the factory radiator hoses to fit.

I haven't played to much with this yet.

But it would be really nice if you can find a all aluminum radiator made for the rx8 but idk if they will work for sure yet as it hasn't been tried to my knowledge.

***However I do have an aftermarket 3 core radiator in my car as I broke mine pulling the radiator hose off.***

6. Q. I to use an LS3 with a manual transmission. A. I have a customer in Canada that has done this swap using my kit.

The transmission does require a drivshaft that I do not have.I'm not quite sure on all the details of all the things that he had to Do. But I think the front accessories must be changed but I'll have to ask him.

7. Q. The oil coolers on the RX8, are they used or removed?

All oil coolers are removed for weight and no need for them.

Q: Will swapping an LS1 V8 in my Mazda RX8 ruin the handling of the car?A: No, there are bump steer kits available to keep the geometry of the Mazda RX8 suspension.

Q: What kind of gas mileage can I expect to get after swapping the LS1 V8 in my RX8?A: Because of the double overdrive of the T56 transmission from an F-body Camaro, I have been getting as much as 26mpg on the highway and some city.

Q: Is swapping an LS1 V8 in my Mazda RX8 very difficult?A: Swapping the LS1 engine in the RX8 is very simple with the kit that I offer; however, you will have to drill a few holes and metal rivets, but that is nothing to be afraid of. My installation guide is coming soon, and it will describe in great detail everything that needs to be done.

Q: Will my RX8 be reliable using an LS1 engine?A: The LS series engine is one of the most reliable engines on the road. It is the most swapped engine at this time because of its great potential and reliability.

Q: What engines will work with your kit.A:Any LS Series Engine Can Be Used however there are changes that have to be done to all the drivetrains exept the 98-02 Camaro SS Or Trans Am. So In the end That is the setup you must have.

On the LS9,LSA,LS3,LS7s i am not aware of the changes necessary as i haunt gotten my hands on any to test fit.

Can I Use a Truck 6.0/5.3/4.8?...The truck engines can be had pretty cheap, but they will not fit the RX-8's engine bay without some pretty big changes... ...the truck intake is too tall (need LS1 or LS6 intake, injectors, fuel rail, and different injector plugs) ...the truck oil pan is too deep (you need a Camaro LS1 pan/pick-up tube/tray) ...the truck alternator will hit the hood (You'll need a GTO Alternator Bracket,drill and tap a hole for the gto alt bracket) ...the truck upper rad hose interferes the LS1/2/6 throttle body (need a GTO waterpump) ...truck ignition works great, but won't work with Corvette engine covers ...truck exhaust manifolds will not fit the RX-8 chassis ('98-02 Camaro manifolds)

...Realistic Expectations...Effects On Maintenence & Reliability......If you already own a RX-8, then you already know about the rotary’s maintenance requirements, have probably heard stories about dealer service departments that lack proper training on rotary engines, and chances are, your beautiful RX-8 is probably on it’s 2nd or 3rd engine by now. The Chevy engines, on the other hand, is perhaps the most common engines on the planet. Most any person with automotive experience has worked on one, and a large factory trained network of technicians exist from coast to coast. The modern Chevy engine routinely goes 100k between tune-ups, and replacement parts are among the cheapest and most common.

Effects On Performance......As you might suspect, the switch to an LS1 powerplant has an effect on performance too. The additional low-end torque makes the RX-8 very easy to drive, and is available throughout the RPM range. No longer will you have to excessively slip the clutch at a stop light to keep from killing the engine. No longer do you have to downshift, wait for your RPMs to come up (or boost to build) to pass a car. No longer will you live in constant fear of the dreaded carbon lock. With the LS1, your power is always available. If and when it comes time for an upgrade, things can really get interesting. Simple $100. modifications can result in 15-20hp increases, while spending a mere $2500. can get you up to around 500hp level. We are seeing low 12 second 1/4mi times from stock smog legal engines.

Another consideration is fuel economy. If you've ever driven a rotary car for more than a few miles, you quickly realized that they do not get very good fuel mileage. The best is usually around 16mpg. Simply switching to an LS1/T56 will jump that to around 25mpg. That's with a "pass smog in California" LS1 that has nearly 400hp in an ultra reliable completely stock configuration, installed a car that is likely to be lighter than when it was rotary powered. It's pretty hard to see a downside here...

Skills Required......If you have a good grasp of things mechanical, do all your own automotive maintenance, have a good selection of tools and know how to use them, you are probably qualified to perform this swap.